Summary
- Baldur's Gate 3 players can cheese the hag fight in Act 1 by trapping Auntie Ethel in her teahouse.
- Casting Arcane Lock on the passageway disguised as a fireplace will cut off her escape route, making her easier to handle.
- Arcane Lock only lasts a few turns, so players will need to act quickly or keep relocking the passageway because the hag will escape if given the opportunity.
One Baldur's Gate 3 player has found a new way to cheese the hag fight in Act 1 by trapping the slippery boss in her starting area, thus making her unable to retreat to a more advantageous position. The discovery adds to the list of tricks for making short work of the game's many tough enemies, such as the ingenious morningstar strategy that can one-shot the final boss of Baldur's Gate 3 Act 2.
Warning! Baldur's Gate 3 Act 1 spoilers ahead. While she is possible to miss, most Baldur's Gate 3 players will meet Auntie Ethel early on during the game's campaign. Anyone who does so should soon learn that the nice old lady is actually a hag, one of the many monstrosities from Dungeons and Dragons lore wielding magic that's equal parts foul and powerful. Soon thereafter, players will get their first chance to defeat the creature, although doing so is easier said than done, as the Auntie Ethel boss fight in Baldur's Gate 3 can be rather challenging for a low-level party.
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Baldur's Gate 3 Hag Fight Can Be Cheesed By Locking Auntie Ethel's Escape Route
A lot of that challenge stems from the fact that the hag will retreat underground shortly after the Baldur's Gate 3 party confronts her at Auntie Ethel's Teahouse, forcing them to go through a rather deadly area before fighting her from a disadvantaged position. However, as Reddit user Disgaealikerasap recently learned from their dad, it is actually possible to trap the creature in her house, consequently skipping the whole underground chase. To do so, the player merely needs to cast the Arcane Lock spell on the passageway masquerading as a fireplace near the back of the teahouse, which will cut off the hag's scripted escape route.
Arcane Lock is a level 2 spell from the Abjuration school of magic, making it well within reach of all Wizard characters during the first act of Baldur's Gate 3. Players are still advised not to take on Auntie Ethel until their party is at least level 5; although trapping her upstairs certainly makes her easier to handle, she will still hit hard and be annoying to pin down due to her invisibility shenanigans.
Those hoping to cheese the hag fight using this trick should also keep in mind that Arcane Lock only lasts for a couple of turns, meaning they'll either have to make short work of Auntie Ethel or keep relocking the stairway throughout the fight, because she can and will escape if given the opportunity.
Employing this strategy will also likely require reshuffling one's spellbook; since Arcane Lock is far from the best Abjuration spell in Baldur's Gate 3, there's a decent chance that players simply won't have it unless they specifically respec their Wizard for the Auntie Ethel fight. Thankfully, doing so is as simple as spending 100 gold with Withers at the camp.
Baldur's Gate 3
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.
THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCE
Choose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.
A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPIC
Forged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian's next-generation RPG engine.
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical Only
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 100+ Hours
- Metascore
- 96
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
